The CFSP (Common Foreign and Security Policy) previously formed the 2nd pillar of the old EU structure. It was governed by intergovernmental cooperation, within which decisions were principally taken unanimously by the Council or the European Council. The Treaty of Lisbon (2010-) reforms the old EU structure by abolishing the distinction between the three pillars (page “division of competences”).

The European Union’s position is absolutely clear: israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are “illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible”. Yet this report shows how european policy helps sustain the settlements. It reveals that the eu imports approximately fifteen times more from the illegal settlements than from the Palestinians themselves.

The new scheme of the EU will focus on a smaller number of beneficiaries (89 countries) in the form of reduced tariff rates or zero. At the same time, countries that effectively ensure compliance with human rights, labor rights conventions as well as environmental and good governance will benefit from increased support.